The Dixie State University Student Association hopes to change the identity of DSU, campus structures and student involvement this year.
Student Body President Matt Devore, a senior integrated studies major from Mesquite, said he wants to work on relocating the Multicultural Diversity Center, work with academics to find what students want in their next degrees, and get the mascot changed.
Devore said he wants to continue with the identity initiative former Student Body President Gregory Layton started last year and he helped get over 1,000 students to take a survey last year about the mascot’s name. Only 21 percent of the students surveyed were in favor of keeping the current mascot.
“It needs to be changed,” Devore said.
He said DSUSA members don’t plan on doing another survey.
“I strongly believe that no matter what we change it to, people will be able to buy in and say ‘Okay, that’s what we are,’ and it will make sense to them,” Devore said.
Devore said the mascot and brand of DSU are being worked on by a team of DSUSA members, but there is no deadline as to when it will be changed.
Academics
Devore said he plans to work with academics and the student senate this year to find what students want in new degrees and programs coming to DSU.
“We’re growing, and it’s time to start getting more (degrees), which we’ve seen this summer (by) adding that new one in health and performance,” Devore said.
He said this degree is not a done deal yet, but the university is pushing for that to happen.
Relocating MCDC
DSUSA student leaders are working to find a new location for the Multicultural Diversity Center so it’s in a more visible location. The MCDC is currently located in the basement of the Student Activities Center.
“It’s kind of a tough task, because we don’t want to just find something that’s going to be a Band-Aid,” Devore said.
He said he doesn’t want to waste money moving it multiple times, and DSUSA members are currently looking at all the options they have for relocating the center.
Devore said he is unsure of where the center will be moved to but has a team looking at all the renderings of the building and seeing where they can add it.
Student involvement
Jordon Sharp, director of student involvement and leadership, said the “overarching” goal for DSUSA is to get students involved.
Along with Devore’s goals for this year, Sharp said DSUSA student leaders aim to create a mental health campaign for students, expand the student center, and to “improve the activities, service projects, events and initiatives the DSUSA oversees annually.”
“Involvement has been proven to increase students’ grades, college satisfaction, retention rates and hiring marketability,” Sharp said.
Event attendance increased by 93 percent, club membership by 61 percent, number of events by 140 percent, the number of DSUSA student leaders by 100 percent, and service projects sponsored by DSUSA grew by 240 percent, according to DSUSA statistics given by Sharp.
“Our main goal is to continue this trend, although it most likely won’t grow at the same rate moving forward,” Sharp said.
DSUSA added a position this year that works solely to help students get involved. Devore said this position is called the involvement coordinator, and that person will give students information on how student government works and how to get involved.
“The position will give trainings about student government and hopefully over time get them into a committee that is their best fit,” Devore said.
Devore’s motivation to get these goals done is solely for the students.
“I was elected here for the students and by the students, so I want to do anything I can to make this place better and do what I said I was going to do,” Devore said.
